How do you handle Barbarossa? And the Pacific War?

[bo]

Ok I have been saying defeating Poland is kind of easy, will someone please post for me what you feel is the perfect Polish setup or at least one that will slow down the German advance if that's possible. If you would be so kind as to name the unit and the hex you would like to see it go in. I know this might be difficult because you may not have CWIF sitting in front of you where you can set up within minutes. Please make it as difficult as possible for me and I will test it. I will give an honest answer after I test it, MAYBE[;)]

Bo

[composer99]

One issue there, bo, is that Poland sets up after Germany does because Polish set-up occurs during the very first declaration of war step in the game, whereas all the major powers set-up in the pre-game set-up phase.

So an optimal Polish set-up largely depends on how Germany sets up (e.g. whether their strongest force is in East Prussia, or spread along the western border, or in the south).

As I see it, the Polish are trying to prevent an attack on their main cities (Lodz & Warsaw) in the first impulse, when rules specify that the weather is fine everywhere.

At the same time, they want these two cities to be strongly defended so that once the speed bumps fall, they are not easily taken. Typically, the Allies want the Germans to have to attack each city in turn, requiring a total of three impulses to finish Poland, and hoping that bad weather, bad combat dice, and perhaps even a lucky (for the Allies) end-of-turn roll (assuming bad weather has sped up the turn advancement) throw a wrench in the works.

The Poland AI thread has some suggested set ups.

[Joseignacio]

Yes, they are. You have two options. Use an HQ (like Rundstedt for example) to restore up to 4 units if this is the case (including some militia). Plus I think you have an air transport that you can use too to restore.

All the unis which travel by train become disorganized, including HQs.

You can use O-points or O-chits in WIf and MWiF (CWIF?) to restore all the HQs and the HQs to restore units.

However, it's better to wait there to N/D, weather can be good enoud to crush weak Belgium and start bothering France or you can invade Netherlands too if that is your strategy.

Vichy is a major power which has a special treatment, it's neutral but favourable to axis, like a puppet. So, the illusion of it´s independence vanishes if a german unit crosses the border and the european part of VIchy dissapears and becomes German controlled land. The colonies become Free France minors and territories.

You can attack Spain easily if you collapse Vichy, and under some optional rules, if we are playing correctly you couls instead align Spain provided you collapse Vichy before.

Vichy is a whole world inside WIF, I myself have a lot of doubts and more experienced players can still find unclear niches.

[Joseignacio]

It depends totally, too, on wether you are using ZOC or no-ZOC in surprise.

[Red Prince]

Actually, Vichy doesn't need to be collapsed (I think) in order to align Spain. If you manage to capture Gibraltar while Spain is still neutral, then you can 'give' it to Spain and align them in the same sequence. Of course, it is very tough to crack, and even more difficult if you don't attack Spain and use their hexes to take Gibraltar. A bit of a Catch-22: align Spain by taking Gibraltar, but you need Spain to attack Gibraltar more easily, which can only be done by moving through and/or conquering Spain, which means you can't then align it.

[Extraneous]

Polish setup was discussed in Prefered style of playing Poland

[Joseignacio]

You are right.

There are two ways:

- You take GIbraltar and do what you say.

- (I think, I cannot check the rules just now) You collapse Vichy and pay one or two O chits. This may be an optional.

[composer99]

Jose, paying offensive chits to align Spain is a Ghost of WiF Past(TM).

[bo]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Jose, paying offensive chits to align Spain is a Ghost of WiF Past(TM).

You Scrooge [:D]

Bo

[Joseignacio]

ORIGINAL: composer99

Jose, paying offensive chits to align Spain is a Ghost of WiF Past(TM).

I knew I had been victimized in some rule... [:@] The most knowledgeable guy in my group loves to. Thanks.

[bo]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Polish setup was discussed in Prefered style of playing Poland

Thank you Extraneous for that information, went there saw the setup and just now tried it out in my CWIF game. Actually it was a disaster for Poland [and I am no Erwin Rommel[:-]] I received in Pulse 1,3, and 5 perfect weather [just might be a CWIF thing] I was able to get a 7 to 1, an 8 to 1 on the first impulse and a 7 to 1 on the second impulse, I forget what the odds were on the third impulse but they were not good for the Polish army, even though that setup put a greater amount of points to overcome in each hex the German units still had overwhelming power, I actually had more trouble when I had put one Polish unit in each hex on the border because I could not get the best odds even though those odds were quite good. Look if I knew what the heck I was doing I would be dangerous [&:] also I have a great advantage over people here who have not played for awhile because I am able to with the help of CWIF to try many different attacks over and over again until I get it right.[;)] and because I think I got it right does not mean its RIGHT!

Bo

[Joseignacio]

The first impulse is always good weather, the others are just very probable good time.

If the three of them were good weather and there is no super bad dice throw, the polish don't stand a chance.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: bo

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Polish setup was discussed in Prefered style of playing Poland

Thank you Extraneous for that information, went there saw the setup and just now tried it out in my CWIF game. Actually it was a disaster for Poland [and I am no Erwin Rommel[:-]] I received in Pulse 1,3, and 5 perfect weather [just might be a CWIF thing] I was able to get a 7 to 1, an 8 to 1 on the first impulse and a 7 to 1 on the second impulse, I forget what the odds were on the third impulse but they were not good for the Polish army, even though that setup put a greater amount of points to overcome in each hex the German units still had overwhelming power, I actually had more trouble when I had put one Polish unit in each hex on the border because I could not get the best odds even though those odds were quite good. Look if I knew what the heck I was doing I would be dangerous [&:] also I have a great advantage over people here who have not played for awhile because I am able to with the help of CWIF to try many different attacks over and over again until I get it right.[;)] and because I think I got it right does not mean its RIGHT!

Bo

The danger with guarding the border is that it leaves Warsaw open to attacks from East Prussia on the 1st impulse.

If you take Warsaw on the 1st impulse you don’t have to bother with the units on the border.

[bo]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

ORIGINAL: bo

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Polish setup was discussed in Prefered style of playing Poland

Thank you Extraneous for that information, went there saw the setup and just now tried it out in my CWIF game. Actually it was a disaster for Poland [and I am no Erwin Rommel[:-]] I received in Pulse 1,3, and 5 perfect weather [just might be a CWIF thing] I was able to get a 7 to 1, an 8 to 1 on the first impulse and a 7 to 1 on the second impulse, I forget what the odds were on the third impulse but they were not good for the Polish army, even though that setup put a greater amount of points to overcome in each hex the German units still had overwhelming power, I actually had more trouble when I had put one Polish unit in each hex on the border because I could not get the best odds even though those odds were quite good. Look if I knew what the heck I was doing I would be dangerous [&:] also I have a great advantage over people here who have not played for awhile because I am able to with the help of CWIF to try many different attacks over and over again until I get it right.[;)] and because I think I got it right does not mean its RIGHT!

Bo

The danger with guarding the border is that it leaves Warsaw open to attacks from East Prussia on the 1st impulse.

If you take Warsaw on the 1st impulse you don’t have to bother with the units on the border.

Agreed, but I guess that the Polish player will see the German setup and act accordingly in his setup even though IMHO it does
not matter what the Polish player does.

Bo

[Centuur]

It depends. A Polish set up should be such that it might give him the opportunity to survive the first turn (however unlikely this event is going to be). This means putting screening units against the main German thrust at the border (look for forest hexes or cities there) and have two unit stacks at Warsaw and Lodz.
The airforce should be somewhere in the woods behind the front (but beware of soviet intervention...).
However, even then it is only a matter of time before they are killed. Only really bad weather and a lot of luck might see the Polish still living in ND 1939.

[Red Prince]

This may be unpopular, but if playing with Pilots and Internment, I try to rebase the Polish aircraft into Hungary at the first opportunity. Two 'free' pilots for the CW. (Don't know if this is in CWiF)

[lomyrin]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

This may be unpopular, but if playing with Pilots and Internment, I try to rebase the Polish aircraft into Hungary at the first opportunity. Two 'free' pilots for the CW. (Don't know if this is in CWiF)

When playing the CW I usually do that but choose Lithuania

[Joseignacio]

I select Lithuania too. Of course, if in the second impulse I don't see that it can be the 5% of the times that Poland has an opportunity, be it because of bad weather, bad german dice, or insufficient german units because of ineptitude of german player...

[oscar72se]

ORIGINAL: lomyrin

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

This may be unpopular, but if playing with Pilots and Internment, I try to rebase the Polish aircraft into Hungary at the first opportunity. Two 'free' pilots for the CW. (Don't know if this is in CWiF)

When playing the CW I usually do that but choose Lithuania

Assuming that it hasn't become a part of the Russian motherland I presume? [;)]

Regards,
Oscar

[oscar72se]

ORIGINAL: bo

ORIGINAL: oscar72se

Here's what I usually do when I play GE:
In order to have more corps available for the second GE impulse of S/O 39 I usually setup Rundstedt on the western front. I use this HQ to flip the RES... This way I minimize the risk of being over committed on the western front. But be careful, Rundstedt is a nice bomb target for the allies so let him relax in a nice forested area [:)] I also make sure to seize control over Denmark, just make sure that you take ALL coastal hexes. If not, the CW player can just land an HQ in Denmark and make your life miserable for a couple of turns. To take control over Denmark (and "take" the Baltic Sea), you need three units of which one has to have 6 MP.

Regards
Oscar

See Oscar that is where I sense trouble for me in this game until I get some real experience either playing an AI good or bad and playing a good or great human player I would forget about putting a HQ in the woods to help offset an air attack, I have along way to go.

Bo

Everyone makes these mistakes from time to time (myself included of course) [:)]. But that's what makes for a good, exciting game isn't it? Seeing your opponent exposing his jugular... or discovering that you made an awful misstake [:)]

Regards,
Oscar